The Years That Blind Us
by DemigodTrio
Summary: High school is the time to make mistakes, fall in love, and then fall in love again, make friends that you know care about you, and hold onto every precious second. These are the years that bind us together and help us make relationships that last for the rest of our lives
1. Chapter 1

Leo Valdez:

I walked home from Goode High School, my head hanging low. _How could I have let this happen?_ I thought sadly.

It was the beginning of Junior year. Thalia was walking over to me, and I smiled at her, glad to have a friend.

Every morning we would meet by my locker just to talk. She was one of the only people who understood me, even if only a little bit.

However, my smile soon faded as the familiar group approached me. "What do you want Martin?" I asked, trying to seem more confident than I actually was.

He just laughed, shoving me hard against my locker. "You know exactly what I want Valdez," he spit at me.

"I don't have any lunch today Martin," I tried to explain, trying to keep the fear out of my voice.  
He pinned me harder against my locker, his friends blocking any slim chance of escape I had.

"Any lunch _money_ Valdez?" he asked aggressively, still pressing me to the locker.

"N...No Martin," I stuttered, closing my eyes in terror as to what would happen.

I crumpled to the floor in pain, surrounded by laughter. Pain erupted from where he kneed me in the stomach. I tried to get up, to defend myself, but he just kicked me back to the ground. "You're a worthless nothing Valdez, and you'll never amount to anything," Martin spit at me, about to kick me again. But at that moment, everything changed.

Thalia had somehow made her way to Martin and punched him hard in the face. She picked him back up by his shirt, putting her face close to his. "Don't you _ever_ beat up one of my friends," she told him, fire burning in her eyes. "He isn't worthless just because he doesn't have anything to give you. You're the worthless one Martin." She threw him to the ground without another word, his friends watching wordlessly, and then she helped me up, dragging me away from the scene.

"Hey Valdez, why can't you face me on your own instead of getting your little girlfriend to come save you?" Martin spit, a trickle of blood coming out of his mouth. I turned around to confront him, but Thalia had already beaten me to it.

She kicked him in the stomach, sending him back down to the floor. "He didn't _get_ me to save him. I saved him on my own accord. That's what *friends* do. But you wouldn't know that would you? Because none of your 'friends' standing here are helping you right now," she yelled at him, making sure her point was clear.

Martin's 'friends' just watched silently, backing away from the scene in fear of the fuming girl in front of them.

Thalia glared at Martin for a moment, waiting to see if he would say anything else. When he didn't, Thalia dragged me away again, the only thought going through my head being, _wow._  
A little farther down the hall, I spoke. "I...uh...thanks Thalia," I said, blushing.

She didn't say a word for a few minutes, but when she did, she said, "Don't let him pick on you anymore, ok?"

I smiled at her and nodded my reply. She then said goodbye and went to her class.  
That was the day, the day where I, Leo Valdez, fell in love with Thalia Grace.  
_But it doesn't matter anymore,_ I now thought grimly. _She loves someone else._  
The only girl who understood me, the only person to stand up for me, the only person to care, was in love with someone else. And as I ran that thought through my head tears slowly ran down my face.

I heard a rustle in the leaves and looked up. Thalia was looking at me, her deep blue eyes filled with questions, anger, and a sadness that I couldn't understand. She looked beautiful, her black hair falling perfectly into place. I smiled, but I knew it was a sad smile, so I looked away again, feeling her blue eyes watch me as tears fell out of mine.


	2. Chapter 2

Thalia Grace:

It's been two weeks. Two damn weeks, and I can't get the damn pictures out of my head! They just won't leave my mind. Why wouldn't he tell me? I thought we were friends. Why would he keep this from me? I swear if any one of those guys lays a finger on Leo again I will make sure their six feet under.

'Thalia breathe,' I tell myself over and over again, but it's not helping. I feel like I'm choking. I feel like air won't reach my lungs. I'm not even the one being bullied and I'm probably freaking out more than he is. No one messes with my friends and gets away with it. If I don't do something soon I might explode. I need get away from this school. I had to stay after to make sure not one of those guys picked on Leo, and I'm not ready to go home. I have too much steam to blow off. I put in my head phones and start blasting Three Days Grace. I start singing the lyrics because it always seems to make me feel better.

"So what if you can see

The darkest side of me

No one will ever change this

Animal I have become"

I continue to sing and walk around. I end up walking into the woods without really realizing it, but whatever. I like walking around the woods and it's really pretty because of the snow on the ground. I find a place to sit and just get lost in the music. After a while I start to sing really loudly and start to dance. I was jumping around like I was singing at a concert. Once I was done with my mini concert I turned my iPod off, but it's actually really hard when you're laughing uncontrollably. I heard a crunch of leaves behind me and I turned around, but I didn't see anyone.

"Having fun?" A familiar voice asked me, but I didn't know who it was. I stopped laughing and look around for where the voice came from, but when I heard this persons laugh I knew exactly who it was. Unfortunately it was my best friend.

"Nico what are you doing here?" I ask him. I still can't see him. He just loves to hide in the shadows I swear he's just like a ghost.

"I'm just trying to have some fun. What about you Thalia? It is freezing and you're sitting out here in the woods, what's wrong with you? You could seriously get sick." He told me as if I didn't know. I swear he gets on my nerves so easily.

"And so could you, and I'm just here wandering around." He finally showed himself. Yeah he tells me I could get sick when all he's wearing is jeans and a Green Day t-shirt. Ugh boys.

"Oh you're just wandering around? So that wasn't you that was just dancing and singing around?" He's smirking at me. I glare at him and go to walk past him. Gods, like I said he can really get on my nerves even though he's my best friend. I feel like he lives to bother me.

"I'm not in the mood for this Nico." I told him walking back the way I came. Guess what he did? He followed me, like he always does. It's always the same thing: I'm not in a good mood, Nico bothers me, I walk away, and he follows me, then last but not least I explode and start yelling at him. I don't get it, if it's the same thing every time why don't we change it? Trust me, we've tried. It just happens to be the same thing every time, but I mean I like the fact that I can get everything out easily like that, but I don't like exploding on him all the time, especially since he just sits there and takes it, and just waits until I'm done, then comes up to me and give me a hug. This doesn't happen a lot, just when I have a lot to deal with or I'm really stressed, which isn't often. I'm trying really hard not to yell at him and I know he can tell when I'm really stressed.

He pulls me into a hug and I cry. Normally I would never admit to anyone that I cried, but I did.

When I finish, Nico asks what got me so worked up, and I told him all about what happened to Leo and about those boys bullying him. I really want to get revenge on those boys for ever laying a finger on Leo, but Nico reminds me that I can't fight his battles for him which makes me feel worse because he's right. I can't even help my friend. After hearing Nico say that I cry even more. Why can't I help him? Why were those boys picking on him anyway?

As those questions run through my head as Nico was saying soothing words while I continue to cry my heart out. Nico just sits there and listens to me ramble on and on about it. I'd definitely be dead without this kid. I mean I know I have Annabeth, Percy, Jason, Piper and even Leo, but, I don't know, Nico just gets me. He understands how I'm feeling without having me say it. He understands when I just need to get something out of my system, or when I need someone to talk to, or if I need advice, or most of all if I just need a hug like I do right now. I just need him to hug me and listen to what I have to say and I know he will do that for me.

It's at this moment I realize that what I'm feeling is more then what a best friend should be feeling, and the worst part of that is that I like that feeling, but I can never tell him.


	3. Chapter 3

Nico Di Angelo

"So Nico how are you today?" How am I suppose to feel. How does he expect me to feel. I give him a blank stare like I do every time. What does he expect me to say. I don't feel any different then any other day. I go through the day like I always would I put a smile on my face in front of my friends even though it kills me inside, but I'm not like this all the time though some moments when I'm with my friends I feel truely happy and then I got home and that gets shot to hell.

I've been going to therapy for the past six months. None of my friends know and I plan on keeping it that way. I go to therapy because of depression and I am because my older siser Bianca died in a car accident nine months ago. She was basically the only person left in my family that cared about me. My father became a workaholic after the death of my mother, so he was never around to care and then a few years later he married this lady that is a pain in the ass. A month after my sister died I started to drink. A lot. My step mom Persephone found out a month or two later and wanted to send me away when she found out, but my father wouldn't allow it so he has been making me go to therapy.

I don't feel despressed all the time just mostly when I'm home or whenever I'm alone. There's to much to think about when I'm alone and being home just makes me think of Bianca. I try to aviod being home. Being home just hurts to much. I can't even walk past her door. I haven't gone in her room since she died its exactly the same as she left it. I refuse to move anything thats in there. She would always get mad at me for being in her room or touching her things. I would do it all the time back then and now I can't even walk past her door. Man I just miss her so much. I mean yeah we use to fight a lot, but we were family and thats all that mattered. We told each other everything no matter how bad it was or how stupid it was. No matter how mad we got at each other we'd always make up the next day. I wonder what she'd say to me if she found out I was depressed. She'd probably do anything to help me, but if she was still alive I wouldn't be like this. I am like this because of her death. Why did she have to go. Why did she have to leave me. I know its not her fault its the drunk drivers fault. If he hadn't hit her car she'd be here with her bright smile and her perking attitude that I couldn't stand. I just miss her so much. I didn't realize I was crying until I felt water droplets on my arms. I quickly wipe them away, but I know Dr. Sanders saw them.

"Nico its okay to talk about things" My old ass therapist tells me and I'm very thankful he didn't mention the whole crying thing, but I don't understand how this guy isn't dead yet and I know that sounds horrible, but this guys is like 100 years old. He's bald on the top of his head with hair in the sides sticking out like he's a mad sciencist and has a white beard. He's not fat, but not skinny either and has the most annoy voice I've ever heard. Whenever he talks I just wanna rip my fucking hair out and I still don't understand why he talks I don't say anything in here anyway. I don't feel like talking about it if I wanted to I would have by now, but this old guy is only in it for the money anyway he doesn't give a shit about anything I have to say. He's only here because of my father's fat check he gives this guys every month even though I don't say anything.

"Oh god looks like the hours up already. Awesome. Ciya" I said as I walked out the door. He said something to me, but I couldn't hear him. I basically ran out of there as fast as I could. When I walked out of the building the cold air blows in my face and thats when I remember I left my jacket in school because my fathers driver picked me up to make sure I went to therapy. Oh I forgot to mention that my fathers rich. He owns like a bunch of cemeterys and a bunch of banks. Well looks like I walking back to school. The walk to school is to far so I'm going to take a short cut through the woods. I don't get why people are so scared of the woods. I blame scary movies, but I love the woods I find them very peaceful. Well it would be peaceful if there wasn't a girl with long choppy black hair dancing and singing. Of course since I knew who this was I just had to mess with her.

She turned around when I stepped on a bunch of leaves. I don't think she saw me which is completely awesome, but she stopped dancing and singing and now is just laughing uncontrolibly. Man I love her laugh. Wait what am I saying she's my best friend. I can't think that way about her. Alright now its time to mess with her.

"Having fun?" I asked her and as soon as the words left my mouth she stopped laughing. She continued to look around to see where I was, but she couldn't and her face was just priceless I couldn't help but laugh at her complete confusion. Times like these are when I feel happy just hanging around and messing with my friends.

"Nico what are you doing here?" Thalia asked me still looking around because she couldn't see me. She calls me the Ghost King don't ask me why. I'll never understand what goes on in the female mind.

"I'm just trying to have some fun." I told her honestly. I was just trying to have some fun. I always wanted cheering up after therapy. "What about you Thalia its freezing out and your sitting out here in the woods whats wrong with you. You could seriously get sick." She rolled her eyes seeing as she was wearing more than I was and I was telling her what to do. She alway hated that.

"So could you genuis and I'm just wondering around." I finally decided to come out competely I know she saw me before, but whatever.

"Oh so that wasn't you just singing and dancing around?" I asked her with a smirk on my face. She glared at me and went to walk past me. I know she would be annoyed, but not this annoyed somethings seriously bothering her. I know when something is serious and right now is definitely one of those times.

"I'm not in the mood Nico." She told me walking I'm guessing the way she came since theres footprints in the ground because of the snow, but I of course followed her. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't ask her what was wrong. She look like she was on the verge of tears so I pulled her into a hug and she cried into my shoulder. Once she calmed down I asked her what got her so worked up and she told me that Leo was being bullied and he didn't tell her. I can really understand why she's upset I mean I'm kinda of annoyed Leo didn't tell anyone about it. I mean we could of all helped him in some kind of way. I know we can't fight his battles for him and thats exactly what I told Thalia, but part of me wants to really kick the crap out of those kids. When I told Thalia that she started to cry again because she knew I was right, but I feel horrible because my words made her cry. I don't wanna see Thalia cry she's my best friend. I trust her more than anyone even if I don't tell her about therapy. I know she'd be mad if she found out and that I never told her, but when I try to tell her it just won't come out. I don't even really know if wanna tell her because I feel like she'll just think of me like most of my family does. They all think if they say something bad or hurtful in front of me that I'll shadder like glass. I don't want her to look at me differently because of my depression.

Also she's like the only thing that really makes me happy. I mean Percy, Annabeth, Leo, Jason, and even Piper all make me feel better, but they don't make me feel happy. Whenever I think about Thalia a smile spreads across my face. I just can't lose to that.  



End file.
